The Gilbert Legacy
by jadelance
Summary: After the death of their parents, Elena and Jeremy are off to live with their uncle in Forks, Washington. However, their family history and other forces pull the siblings into the realm of the supernatural and nothing will ever be the same. AU. Pre-TVD. Pre-Twilight. Gilbert-centric.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This premise came about when a Twilight marathon was on TV (that I got sucked into), and I started rewatching TVD from the beginning and got to thinking, how different would it have been if say, Elena's father had an older half-brother who wanted to take in his orphaned niece and nephew? If she had a change of pace, but one that still pulled her into the supernatural world?

This will be set in Twilight, but I've taken liberty with the timeline (2006) to have it sync with TVD (2009). I've also taken the creative liberty of altering all the Twi-verse humans' ages so they correspond accordingly. The vamps' ages will remain the same.

That being said; there will be two different species of vampires, and the supernatural aspects of TVD will also be added to the Twi-verse. So witches exist, and since there is no official info (that I know of) on the Children of the Moon—true werewolves will take after those in TVD. Now if any of those characters make appearances is yet to be seen. Though I must say that I did take some creative liberty with the Gilbert family history and some supernatural aspects of TVD-universe which you'll undoubtedly notice as the story goes on. Some things will be similar; others will be completely different—but hopefully within a somewhat believable context.

I hope you guys enjoy the story. Please feel free to leave me your thoughts!

Jade

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and the Vampire Diaries belong to their respective owners. Neither belong to me. That is all.

* * *

 **The Gilbert Legacy**

Chapter 1: Help, I'm Alive

* * *

ELENA

* * *

 _Today's the day. Moving day._

 _I thought that I was going to be sadder than I am. I mean it's only natural, right? To be upset at the fact that I'm leaving the only home I've ever known. But it doesn't really matter._

 _At least, not anymore._

 _It's been five weeks since mom and dad died, and while I can talk about them now without bursting into tears every five minutes, the pain is just as unbearable as it was the day I woke up alone in the hospital..._

 _We're going to live with Uncle Charlie in some small town in Washington. It's supposed to be the rainiest place in the continental U.S., which is fine by me. I don't want beautiful days to bring back painful memories. It's one of the reasons I haven't put up a fuss about moving despite Bonnie and Caroline begging me not to go._

 _I need to get away from Mystic Falls and all the memories that come with being there._

 _For a while Aunt Jenna wanted to become our guardian, but after a few weeks of going back and forth, Uncle Charlie finally put his foot down. I agreed with him. How was Jenna supposed to deal with two moody teenagers on top of finishing school? She hasn't even had time to properly grieve either, considering Jer and I had been in her temporary custody for the weeks following the accident._

 _Another reason for moving is the fact that Jeremy's turned to drugs to cope with the loss, and there's no better way to get him to quit than living with the Chief of Police—_

I'm pulled from my writing as an overhead announcement declared boarding time. I looked over towards Jeremy, who's slouching in his chair with rock pulsing from his ear buds, and nudge him with my elbow to get his attention before I start to gather my things. Making sure my diary is tucked safely away in my carry-on, I waited for Jeremy to get his stuff before we walked over to the attendant and handed our boarding passes.

Once we were waved through, we went through the painstaking process of finding our seats and putting away our luggage. Jeremy was quiet the whole time; the permanent scowl that took residence on his face four weeks ago was still there. He took the window seat that was supposed to be mine, but I didn't have it in me to argue over it.

It's funny how the death of a loved one changes you. How things that we would have easily bickered over, like who got to sit by the window during a flight, were inconsequential now.

I guess it comes with the territory.

I spent the majority of the seven hour flight to Seattle trying to read, but gave up when I barely made it past the first five pages of my book. I eventually took out my diary and continued where I'd left off.

… _I can't say that I blame Jer for reacting the way he is. I probably would have done the same if I wasn't so wracked with guilt. But I am, just as I should be._

 _Because they wouldn't be dead if I hadn't skipped out on Family Night. They wouldn't be dead if I hadn't made them come pick me up after arguing with Matt._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _If I had just stayed home, none of this would have happened._

I stopped writing when my vision glazed over with hot tears. Blinking them back furiously, I took a deep breath and looked past Jeremy at the sea of clouds.

I didn't touch my diary for the rest of the flight.

* * *

Once we landed in Seattle, we had to take the connecting flight that would fly us out to Port Angeles. It wasn't long before we touched down onto a singular runway that housed only a handful of planes—none of which were anywhere near the size of commercial ones we saw in Seattle.

Jeremy and I made our way through security and walked over towards baggage claim. After getting our bags, I turned my phone back on and noticed I had a voicemail from Uncle Charlie. He'd called some forty-five minutes earlier stating that he was running a bit behind and if we were to arrive before him that we should wait near the main entrance that led to the parking lot.

Before I had the chance to tell Jeremy, my phone started ringing.

"Hello?"

"Hey Elena, you guys just land?"

"Nope, got here about twenty minutes ago. We just got our bags from baggage claim. I just finished listening to your voicemail."

"Great, I can meet you outside the front entrance. I just parked the cruiser." Uncle Charlie said.

"Sounds good, we'll be there in a few." The line went dead as I hung up.

I turned to let Jeremy know. "Hey Jer, Uncle Charlie said—"

"I heard." He interrupted with a roll of his eyes before stalking off towards the exit. I bit the inside of my cheek in an attempt to rein in my temper. It didn't work as well as I hoped.

Without another word, I followed Jeremy out of the airport to the crisp air outside. I immediately spotted Uncle Charlie making his way to us. His hair was a little grayer, and the smile lines around his eyes that I remembered from visits as a kid had deepened a bit. In all though, he looked much the same as he had a few short weeks ago at the funeral. He had a striking resemblance to my dad. Something that made me both happy and sad.

"Hey Ellie—Jer," Uncle Charlie greeted, smiling slightly despite the sadness in his eyes. I figured I looked much the same.

"Hi Uncle Charlie." I replied for the both of us as I stepped forward to give him a hug hello. He gave me a one-armed squeeze for a moment before letting go and taking my suitcase despite my protests. Jeremy merely muttered his greeting. Together the three of us made our way across the small parking lot and towards the police cruiser.

We spent the majority of the hour-long drive from the town of Port Angeles to Forks in silence, with only Charlie's occasional commentary on the local wildlife and towns filling the car. I didn't mind; I was soaking up the sights outside.

Huge trees crept towards the sky and the forest seemed endless. The stark gray sky made the green hues of the plants more vibrant, and there was a crispness in the air despite it still being summer that I couldn't help but enjoy. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting when I got here—I didn't bother to research anything about the town, or the surrounding area, that would be our new home aside from Bonnie's helpful tidbits that Seattle was notoriously rainy—but I was pleasantly surprised.

Before long, the cruiser pulled up to a small two-story house. I felt a familiar prick in my eyes when I caught sight of the Escape my parents had gotten me for my sixteenth birthday in the driveway. Uncle Charlie seemed to pick up on my sadness as he quickly explained.

"All of your stuff got here the day before last, and I've already taken it up to the spare bedroom and placed Jeremy's downstairs." His words made me pause long enough to remember that Uncle Charlie only had a two-bedroom, one-bathroom house. Jeremy was going to sleep in the newly remodeled basement while I was to have my cousin Bella's old room. I just nodded as we headed inside. I immediately made my way upstairs, following my uncle's directions on getting to my new room.

The room itself was small, but cozy. The bed looked to be recently made if the purple sheets were anything to go by. A rocking chair sat beside a desk that was home to an old dinosaur of a computer. Upon closer inspection, I could see that an area of the paint on the wall closest to the window was not as faded as the rest, probably from where Uncle Charlie had hung some of Bella's artwork from over the years. Two large boxes with my name on them sat on the floor, housing the few things I bothered to pack and bring with me to Forks.

Letting out a sigh, I heaved my suitcase onto the bed and started unpacking.

* * *

Monday came in the blink of an eye, and I found myself sitting in my car, alone, following Uncle Charlie and Jeremy in the police cruiser to Forks High.

It wasn't a long drive, but I could see why Uncle Charlie insisted on having the car sent to Forks. Walking two miles to and from school in the constant drizzle of rain would've sucked. And as painful as it was to take my car—I had found my mom's favorite scarf I'd stolen from her closet stuffed carelessly under the passenger seat—it was also a source of comfort as butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

I'd never been the new kid anywhere. Jer and I had lived in Mystic Falls all our lives; we knew all the names of the kids we went to school with. We grew up with them. But here in Forks, we were the new kids—fresh meat. Add to that the reason why we moved here in the first place, and we were guaranteed to be in the spotlight. Something I was not looking forward to.

I followed Charlie as far as what I assumed to be the student parking lot. I killed the engine once I was parked and looked around the quickly-filling lot. Already my car seemed to have garnered some attention as several of the students that arrived looked my way. It was unquestionably a newer model compared to the others that occupied the lot.

Taking a deep breath, I gathered my stuff and got out, making sure to lock the doors before I made my way to where Uncle Charlie and Jeremy waited for me. My fears of being in the spotlight were confirmed the moment people started whispering at my appearance. I self-consciously tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and quickly met up with my uncle and brother.

As we entered the office, I was assaulted by the glare of the fluorescent lights and the musty smell from the carpet—probably from having countless shoes track water inside. The office itself looked a lot like the one back home; standard office carpet, front desk with a secretary, bookshelves lined with student records, and offices nestled behind the reception area. They even had those cheesy motivational posters and the fake potted plants sitting beside the three chairs that made up their designated waiting area.

"Good morning Chief Swan, what can I do for you?" came the secretary's pleasant voice. There was no disguising her curious gaze when she caught sight of Jeremy and me.

"Morning Shelly," Uncle Charlie greeted. "I'm just here to drop off my niece and nephew for their first day."

"Of course, they must be Elena and Jeremy Gilbert." She said as she quickly pulled out two small files from a stack. "I'm so sorry to hear about your parents."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jeremy flinch. Secretary Shelly seemed to have caught it too because she looked ready to say something else; whether it was an apology or not, I didn't know. Regardless of which, I stepped forward before she could. There was no need to make Jeremy more reclusive than he's already been.

"Thanks Mrs. Cope," I said after a quick glance at her nameplate.

That seemed to divert her attention as she gave me one of those small pitiful smiles I'd grown to hate in the weeks following my parents' deaths. "Of course dear, if there's anything we can do for you at all, please feel free to stop by."

I nodded, "We'll keep that in mind."

Uncle Charlie cleared his throat then and spoke with Ms. Cope for a few more minutes. After signing the last of our forms, the secretary handed us our schedules and maps of the school. Letting Charlie keep her occupied, I steered Jeremy to the chairs and compared our schedules.

"Nothing," I murmured as I looked over the papers.

Jeremy let out a derisive snort as he snatched his schedule from my grip. "What did you expect? You're a junior and I'm a sophomore. I never expected us to share any classes."

Irritation flashed through me at his tone. "I figured we'd maybe have lunch or _something_. The school is small enough for it to happen."

My irritation grew as Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Whatever, let's just get this day over with." He stood and walked out the door without another word.

Just as the door slammed closed Charlie finished talking to Mrs. Cope and walked over to where I was. "What was that about?" he nodded at Jeremy's escape.

"Sorry Uncle Charlie, he's not in the best mood."

Guilt settled in the pit of my stomach as I saw the brief flash of pain in Charlie's eyes. "I didn't think he'd have the easiest time adjusting to Forks, given the circumstances." He let out a long sigh before addressing me. "Regardless, we'll keep an eye on him. I hope you have a good day Ellie."

I managed a small smile for him. "Thanks Uncle C, I'm sure I will. See you when you get home."

With that, we left the office and I made my way further into campus.

* * *

English was easy enough to find. Even though the school was broken up into separate buildings, the map was easy to follow and the large letters painted on each one made it simple to maneuver. I walked determinedly into my English class and ignored the automatic whispers that erupted at my arrival. Making sure to not look at the gawking masses, I walked towards the teacher's desk and handed in my slip to be signed.

The hour passed by quickly enough. I'd made sure to pay close attention to the teacher and constantly looked over the class syllabus in hopes of looking busy. I only spoke when I was spoken to, which was unfortunately quite often, but I managed to keep my answers short, sweet, and to the point. Hopefully my classmates will take the hint and give me some space, though I wasn't counting on it. By the time the bell rang, I was in such a rush to leave the other students' probing questions, that I was up and out of my seat before they'd so much as slung their backpacks over their shoulders.

I kept my head ducked down as I made my way to U.S. History, making sure that the hood of my coat covered my features well enough from the throngs of students that shuffled to their next class. It wasn't long before I spotted the building that (according to my map) housed the government and history classes. I slipped inside and was pleased to find that the halls were still pretty empty. I quickly pulled out my schedule and started scanning the numbers on the doors for my classroom—hoping to beat at least a good chunk of my fellow classmates there.

Double-checking to make sure I hadn't misread the numbers, I rounded the corner and crashed painfully into something solid. My bag slipped from my shoulder as I fell backwards, sending pens and notebooks skittering over the freshly waxed linoleum. I, however, didn't share their fate as a pale hand shot forward and took hold of my arm before I landed on my ass.

The first thing I saw when I looked up were strange amber eyes—almost golden in their lightness. The peculiar eyes were set upon a handsome face that looked as startled as I felt. As soon as I regained my footing, the boy snatched his hand back and looked at me uncomfortably.

"I'm so sorry!" I quickly apologized, embarrassed that I'd been so caught up in revising my schedule that I hadn't even noticed the poor guy. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

I bent to pick up my scattered belongings and jammed them back into my bag. The boy continued to look at me quizzically, his dark brows pulled together in confusion as he stared at me somewhat intensely.

 _Great. I broke him._

"I'll just get going," I hedged carefully, hooking my thumb over my shoulder towards where I assumed my class was. I turned around and had taken no more than a handful of steps when a soft voice broke the silence.

"Wait."

I turned around to find him walking over to me, and regarded him carefully. "I'm sorry," he offered. "That was incredibly rude of me."

"No worries," I brushed it off. "I wasn't looking where I was going. I should be the one apologizing for bumping into you."

The boy frowned somewhat at my words. "I wasn't paying much attention either."

"Then we're both at fault." I stated with a shrug and a polite smile. "But thanks for saving me from hitting the linoleum. That would've sucked."

He let out a soft huff of amusement before he extended his hand out. "I'm Edward Cullen." He introduced.

"Elena Gilbert," I replied as I accepted his handshake. His hand was quite cold, but unsurprisingly so. The school actually had their air conditioning units running despite the temperature outside being in the low seventies. My own fingers had turned into frozen popsicles during first period. But I figured that was bound to happen since I was used to the balmy southern heat instead of the cool, drizzling climate of the pacific northwest.

At the mention of my name, I could practically see the realization dawn on him, and I wondered briefly if he was going to start pestering me incessantly like all my other classmates had earlier. But he surprised me instead by making a passing remark on my status as new kid before politely asking if I needed help maneuvering my way around. Feeling less wary, I handed over my schedule for him to look over. I was somewhat pleased to find that we shared US History, study hall, lunch, and Biology classes. At least I might have someone to speak to during the day that wouldn't constantly grill me for details on my life before I came here.

I was pulled from my thoughts when the two-minute warning bell rang. Cursing under my breath, I quickly followed Edward to our history class. Fortunately, it wasn't as far off as I'd thought it had been, however my subsequent meeting with Edward had eaten up a good chunk of time and as such, the majority of our class had already arrived. The moment the other students saw the pair of us walk in together, the whispers returned with a new level of ferocity that took me by surprise.

It seemed that along with my status as new kid, Edward was quite a popular topic in the gossip mill.

Flustered, I pointedly walked away from him without a word as I headed over to the teacher standing at the chalkboard and handed him my slip to be signed. Edward seemed to have taken the hint because he shot me a polite smile before taking a seat at the far end of the classroom.

I wanted to thank him, but the final bell rang and instead I took a seat beside the large window on the right side of the room, though I vowed to thank him once class was dismissed.

Like English, second period flew by and before long the bell rang. Despite being once again bombarded by questions from my classmates in this period, I didn't take the same hasty retreat as I had in English. Instead, I hung back to catch Edward and apologize for rudely walking away from him without so much as a by-your-leave, but as I slung my bag over my shoulder and turned to walk towards his desk, he'd already gone.

Seeing where I was looking, a girl who had earlier introduced herself as Angela Weber during class piped up. "Don't mind Edward. The Cullens usually tend to keep to themselves most of the time."

I merely nodded my thanks and gave her a small smile before I walked out. I glanced blankly at the schedule in my hand, trying to focus on the numbers for my French class, but my mind inadvertently kept floating back to Edward Cullen and his odd demeanor.

 _And why exactly am I hung-up on the fact that he left class suddenly?_ I griped at myself. _I don't even know the guy!_

Irritated at my hung-up attitude over a boy I'd just met, I banished all thoughts of Edward Cullen and made my way to French III.

* * *

The day seemed to fly by and before long it was lunch time. I walked from my study hall to the cafeteria with Angela Weber and a group of her friends. They all were friendly enough, and I shared a few classes with each of them.

I stood in line to pay for my meal when I felt my cellphone buzz in my pocket. Quickly pulling it out, I read Bonnie's fourth text she'd sent me asking about my first day at Forks High. I was about to reply when the blond boy—Mike Newton, if I recalled correctly—who had been rather flirty with me placed a hand on my arm.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned, his tone serious but there was a hint of flirtatious mischief in his eyes that I was not keen on reciprocating. "Any of the staff catch you with that and they'll confiscate it until the end of the day."

"Oh," I said dumbly as I slid the device back into my jean pocket. "I'll probably go have lunch outside then so I can call my friend."

Mike looked unnecessarily disappointed, but I ignored it. As sweet as he seemed, I was _not_ up for being the male population's new fixation. I said goodbye to Angela and the rest of her friends before exiting the cafeteria through the doors that led out to the parking lot.

I quickly made my way over to my car, and once I got inside, scarfed down half of the club sandwich I bought and chased it down with some water. Checking the time, I saw that I still had at least twenty-five minutes before the bell was going to ring for us to head to class. It was plenty of time for a quick call to my best friend.

Fishing my cell back out, I hit the speed dial for Bon's number and brought the phone up to my ear. After a few rings, she answered.

" _Elena! What the hell girl, I've been texting you all day!_ "

"Sorry Bon, the new school seems to have a pretty strict no cellphone policy. I came out to eat lunch in my car so I could call you."

" _I forgot about the time change._ " Bonnie murmured. " _Never mind that, why are you eating lunch in your car?! Are people being jerks over there? Do you need me to fly over and kick someone's ass?_ "

Her fierce tone brought out a laugh from me, causing Bonnie to erupt into her own giggles.

"Nah Bon, everyone's pretty ok. A little nosy, but hey, that's small-town life for ya."

I could hear Bonnie hum in agreement with me. " _It's true. We'd probably be just as bad in Mystic Falls if we had any new comers. Which, speaking of, we totally have one!"_

The news piqued my interest. Hardly anyone ever moved to Mystic Falls. The last time it happened was Kasey Johnson in third grade. "Really? Who are they?"

" _His name is Stefan Salvatore, yes Salvatore like the boarding house, and he is a hawt-e with a capital_ _H!"_

I smiled at Bonnie's antics and allowed myself to fall into a familiar step with her as she gushed about the cute new boy back home and how all the girls seemed to trip over themselves for a chance to talk to him, Caroline included. Apparently with everything she'd managed to learn, they were slated to have a June wedding.

We talked for a few minutes after that, her explaining all the crazy hoodoo her Grams was trying to convince her of now, and had, albeit regretfully, brought up how Matt was doing. Apparently, my ex-boyfriend of two years still felt as shitty as I did over the entire ordeal of our fight that had led to my parents' deaths and the breakup that followed. For the umpteenth time, I made sure to let Bonnie know that I didn't blame Matt for any of it, knowing that she'd talk to him for me even when I didn't have the courage to do it myself.

Pretty soon, lunchtime was over; a fact that was punctuated by the sharp bell that rang and signaled for me to get off my ass and head over to Biology.

"Alright Bon, lunch is over. I've gotta head back now."

" _Ok Elena. Take care of yourself, and call me tonight! I'm off to cheer practice with Caroline—pray for me!"_

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me. "Sure. Love you Bon, I"ll talk to you soon."

After her quick bye, I hung up the phone and grabbed my backpack before getting out of my SUV. Taking out the campus map and schedule, I quickly compared the two to find the quickest route to my Biology class. It seemed that the fastest way was to cut between the art building and cafeteria loading dock to make my way to the science labs that were nestled near the back of the campus.

I quickly darted between the buildings and found that my path seemed to be a rarely taken one considering there were only a few kids that walked the same route as me. Once I walked past the art building however, I found myself alone. I was halfway past the loading dock however, when I caught sight of a lone figure rounding the corner and straight towards me.

It was Jeremy, with his headphones on and watching his feet as he walked. He had a stupid grin on his face, and not the carefree one I'd grown up seeing. This smile was different, something that I had, unfortunately, familiarized myself with in the weeks following our parents' deaths. This was the dopey smile only a high could bring him. I'd given him a summer pass, but the fact that he was clearly still using _and_ that it was the first day at a new school had me seeing red. I didn't want Uncle Charlie to be called on our first day to be told that Jeremy was high.

I determinedly marched up to him and knocked the headphones from his head.

He looked up, startled. The dopey grin replaced with a dark scowl as soon as he recognized his attacker.

"What the hell, Elena?!"

I ignored him as I stepped forward.

"Are you kidding me?" I hissed as I grabbed his chin and forced Jeremy to look me in the eye. He immediately slapped my hand away. "We live with the Police Chief and you're high as a kite on our first day at a new school!"

"I don't need your shit!" He hissed.

The warning bell rang but I paid it no mind; our argument was going uninterrupted and I was going to take full advantage of that.

"What are you on? Because I know it's not weed anymore. You wouldn't do it under Charlie's roof. Especially not with the smell."

"Like I'd tell you." Jeremy scoffed as he pushed past me. "Just go back to your little bubble and leave me the hell alone."

I stared at him, affronted. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

He rounded on me in a second. "You've been so caught up with being Poor Elena, the Orphan Girl, that you seem to forget that _I lost them too!_ You're not the only one they left behind! So don't come at me now with some high and mighty attitude when you've barely paid any mind to me in the last five weeks!"

"That's not true!" I started, but was cut off by Jeremy's harsh laugh.

"'Cause you've been there, right?! You were totally there for me when I found out about the accident. You totally saw my reaction to seeing you comatose for days, and knew that the last time I saw our parents they were telling me to get to bed as they headed out the door to get you."

He continued before I could get a word in. "No, of course you didn't. Why would you when you were so wrapped up in yourself? Like you were the only one heartbroken and upset. Like you were the only one who lost them."

"Jeremy, I—" _I what? I had no idea?_

Because I did; _of course I did_. But was he right? Had I been so caught up in myself and my pain and guilt at their loss that I hadn't even thought of him? That I'd completely overlooked his feelings?

"So spare me this bullshit. I don't need you getting on my case, Elena. I've been doing just fine without you." He turned and walked away just as the final bell rang, leaving me standing alone beside the loading dock as the faint mist in the sky turned to a soft drizzle.

I stood frozen for a moment before the tears came.

I brushed them away hastily as I took a deep breath and headed for my biology class. The wet rubber of my sneakers squeaked against the linoleum as I made my way through the science building. I made a pit stop in the girl's bathroom and splashed my face with cold water in the hopes of getting rid of any red splotches.

Taking a deep breath and glancing at my reflection one last time to make sure there was no evidence of my crying, I quickly left the bathroom and walked into my Biology class.

I had to fight back a cringe when my eyes landed on Mike Newton's overenthusiastic smile, offering him a meager one of my own. I'd forgotten that I shared this class with him.

I headed over to the teacher as he gathered this year's course syllabus into a stack to be passed out. "I'm sorry I'm late," I said as I handed him my slip to sign. He waved away my apology.

"Not a problem, Miss Gilbert. Just don't make a habit of it."

"I won't." I replied before I took back the form and placed it back into my bag.

Mr. Banner gave me a warm smile. "Very well. Everyone's already chosen a lab partner, but it looks like there's an open spot beside Mr. Cullen. Please have a seat." He instructed before motioning me towards the only student without a partner.

Perhaps it was the frustration and guilt that raged through me after my encounter with Jeremy, or the way that Mike's eyes followed my every move in a way that made my skin crawl, but as I made my way towards the blacktop table I was to share with Edward Cullen, I couldn't help the words that escaped my mouth in a quiet hiss as I set my backpack down.

"So did you purposefully not find a partner knowing that we share this class?"

Edward, who had regarded my approach with a polite smile, seemed mildly surprised by my frankness. The smile faded and was replaced by a stony demeanor which I was sure mirrored my own.

"No," he answered apathetically. "I don't normally partner up in classes. Did the possibility of us being lab partners cross my mind? Considering that we share this class and the fact that I didn't have a partner, and accounting for your tardiness… Yes, it did; but it wasn't planned."

I could feel my face flush with embarrassment and immediately felt even more guilty for making assumptions. He was honestly one of the only people to have noticed my wanting to be left alone, while remaining polite and friendly in a manner that wasn't as suffocating as that of our peers. It wasn't his fault that Jeremy had gotten under my skin, and I had no right to take it out on him.

I slowly blew out a gust of air through my nose, all the fight in me leaving with it. I turned to him apologetically. "I'm sorry, that wasn't fair. I've just had a really crappy first day."

Before either of us had a chance to say anything else, the teacher, Mr. Banner, told the class to settle down as he began handing out stacks of papers for us to pass around the room.

"Welcome to Biology," he greeted. "I'm Mr. Banner, as many of you know…"

My attention was diverted from his introduction when a small slip of paper slid towards me. I looked down at Edward's incredibly neat handwriting and smiled softly at the words.

 _It's alright._

Neither of us said anything else for the rest of the period.

* * *

Thankfully, the rest of the class had gone by fast and with it came a vast improvement to my mood. No one had pestered me at all during Biology, though Mike had been a tad obnoxious in his waving me over to his desk once Mr. Banner gave us the last twenty minutes of class to chat. I chose to ignore him and buried my head in my arms instead—once again thankful that Edward seemed to get that I wanted to be left alone.

P.E. was an easy class. The only thing we did was get our gym lockers assigned and uniforms handed out. The rest of the time was spent hanging out on the bleachers. Unfortunately, I also shared this class with Mike, and he was determined to talk to me this period and introduced me to some of his friends. So I spent the majority of class getting to know him and a girl named Jessica Stanley, one of the girls that I had met previously during study hall. Jessica was a bit of a chatterbox and reminded me of Caroline though not as bubbly, but she seemed pleasant enough.

Once the final bell rang, I bid them goodbye and made my way out towards the student parking lot. I wasn't sure if I was still giving Jeremy a ride. He was angry and stubborn enough to go walking, and I couldn't say I'd be surprised if he skipped the last two periods altogether. I gave him a call that instantly went to voicemail.

Heaving I sigh, I left him a message to at least let me know if he needed a ride home before putting my phone away and continued my trek out to my car. I was halfway across the parking lot when I saw it from the corner of my eye. The flash of silver and familiar car model.

I stopped in my tracks at the sight of the Volvo—the exact same model that my mom and dad had bought a few months prior to the accident—and suddenly I felt like I was on Wickery Bridge all over again.

I could hear the sound of screeching tires as they skidded over the pavement, remembered the feeling of my head as it ricocheted off the window when the car broke through the guardrail and plummeted into the water. The helplessness that overcame me as I couldn't undo my seatbelt, and the burning in my lungs when I couldn't breathe.

—The apology in my dad's eyes before darkness took me, not knowing that that would be the last time I'd ever see him again.

Immediately my body began to lock up, my airway closing, and I could hear my heartbeat thundering in my ears. The world spun as I fell to my hands and knees and vomited the meager bit of lunch I'd managed to eat. People cried out as my vision blurred, and I think I heard my name but I couldn't be sure.

All I knew was the darkness that beckoned me back to its familiar abode, and then, nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hello all! Thank you for the kind words and likes/follows. I appreciate it a lot. Updates will be sporadic, but I have no intention on abandoning this fic. **  
**

Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Jade

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or TVD **.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Full Moon**

* * *

ELENA

* * *

I woke up to the sound of overhead speakers going off… Something about a doctor someone or other needed in telemetry. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was inside what appeared to be an emergency room.

Gingerly, I sat up from my place on the bed and noticed the heartrate monitor clasped onto my finger. Thankfully there wasn't an IV or anything else strapped onto me, which I took to be a good sign. It meant that my fit probably wasn't as bad as they had been in the past.

In the early days following my parents' deaths, I'd been prone to quite a few fits of terror. All small things that reminded me of them or the night of the accident set me off. Especially cars. The only time I had voluntarily gotten into one immediately following the accident was when Aunt Jenna and Jeremy had come to the hospital to take me home. From then on, I'd flat out refused to get anywhere near a vehicle. It wasn't until Jer and I were informed of our impending move to Forks that I managed to muster up the courage to get back behind the wheel.

I had refused to become anymore of a burden to Uncle Charlie. I didn't want to inconvenience him anymore than we'd already had just for him to drop us off and pick us up from school when I could easily do it.

Not wanting any memories of that night to take root, I pushed all thoughts of driving from my mind. Instead, I thought back to the moments right before I'd passed out. All I could recall before falling unconscious was walking to my car as I waited to hear from Jeremy.

The thought of my brother made me frown guiltily. I couldn't help but play back the words he'd spat so venomously. He'd been genuinely upset. Not because I'd confronted him about his drug use; but because of my apparent audacity at showing concern when, according to him, I hadn't been there for him at all following our parents' deaths.

Guilt gnawed at me as I weighed the truth behind his words.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when a doctor with gray hair walked into the room, medical file in hand. The older man paused when he noticed I was awake, but gave me a pleasant smile nonetheless and immediately walked over to my bedside.

"Hello Elena, I'm Dr. Gerandy. I'm the physician taking care of you today."

"Hi," I mumbled quietly.

"You seemed to have fainted in the school parking lot. Is that something that happens a lot?" The doctor asked as he flipped through my file. I was pretty sure it was the same file I'd been asked to provide from Mystic Falls. As Dr. Gerandy read, his thick white brows pulled together. He'd probably read the notes from the night of the accident.

I shook my head, knowing what was coming next. "No, it hasn't happened in a while. The last time was nearly six weeks ago."

Dr. Gerandy paused and looked at me curiously before writing down some things on my medical charts. The doctor seemed ready to fire off a few more questions when Uncle Charlie made his appearance at the doorway.

"Ellie! I got the call from the station just a few minutes ago. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Uncle Charlie." I tried to placate him. "Just freaked out a bit. I'm sorry you got called out of work."

Uncle Charlie waved off my apology before he looked at the doctor for affirmation.

"She's fine Chief Swan, we just wanted to monitor her since this has happened before. It's normal for post-traumatic stress to affect her after what she's been through." Dr. Gerandy reassured him before he turned an appraising eye in my direction. "You said you haven't had an episode lately. Can you recall what had set you off?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, not keen on sharing but knowing that the longer I resisted the longer it would be before I got discharged. "I was walking to my car, waiting to hear from my brother. It was a car, I think. The same model as the one my parents drove the night of the accident."

Doctor Gerandy nodded. "Yes, something like that would be considered a trigger."

Charlie frowned thoughtfully at the doctor's words. "Will this be something she'll have for the rest of her life, doc?"

"I don't think so, already she's shown vast signs of improvement. She told me the last time she's had an episode was six weeks ago. I think what happened today was an isolated incident, however we can't be sure. Still, my recommendation is to just keep an eye on her and offer her all the support you can."

Charlie agreed to the doctor's orders resolutely, and after a few more words exchanged, he followed him out so he could sign the release papers.

In the meantime, I got out of the hospital bed and went to retrieve my jacket that was folded on the hospital chair alongside my backpack. I'd just fished my phone out of its pocket when I caught sight of a shadow from the doorway. Looking up, I saw Jeremy standing there, looking a little upset. His hands were buried in the pockets of his hoodie and he seemed intent on staring at the scuffed toes of his shoes.

"Hey," he mumbled.

"Hey," I replied.

Jer walked into the room and took a seat in one of the plastic chairs. We were both silent for a few minutes, with only the loud ticking of the clock that hung on the wall to cut through the silence.

"I'm sorry." He finally said. "I was just so pissed off earlier, with you being all self-righteous. I thought you were being a hypocrite because you could mourn in your own way and I wasn't."

There were a few things I wanted to say to that, but in the end I decided to stay silent. My fit had left me drained of all energy, and I didn't want to fight with Jeremy anymore.

My brother turned to me then. "You scared the living shit out of me when you collapsed. I wasn't that far off when the whole thing happened. When I finally got to you, you were on your back, unconscious. It reminded me of when you were in a coma."

"I thought I was going to lose you. And as much as I was mad at you, you're my sister and I can't lose another member of my family."

My vision blurred as tears gathered, but I blinked them back. Jer hated me crying, and I didn't want to scare him off when it felt like we were finally heading in the right direction.

"I'm sorry too, Jer." I whispered. "I just don't want you to destroy yourself over this. Mom and Dad wouldn't have wanted this for you."

When Jeremy didn't say anything, I pressed on. "If you want to be angry at someone, then be angry with me. Blame it all on me, I'll take responsibility for everything. Just please stop using."

Whatever Jeremy was going to say was derailed when Uncle Charlie and Doctor Gerandy returned to release me.

We didn't have another chance to talk for the rest of the evening, and when we finally did, Jer acted as if nothing had happened at all. And while he was still broody, he wasn't as quick to snap as he'd been only hours prior.

It was that comforting thought that led me to hope that one day my baby brother and I would be okay.

* * *

The next two weeks passed by uneventfully, much to my pleasure. It seemed that by the second week of school, news of the new kids had started to grow old (despite my episode on the first day), and by week three I was just another face in the crowd. Jeremy also seemed to be doing somewhat well. He had returned to his sullen self shortly after the episode, but from what I could tell, he'd made an acquaintance in one of his classes that seemed to pull him out of his funk somewhat. I also hadn't caught him high since our conversation in the hospital, so I hoped that there was some progress on that front as well.

It was with all these somewhat pleasant events, coupled with the oddly sunny Saturday morning, that made me accept Uncle Charlie's invitation to go visit some of his friends on the reservation.

"So your friend is Quileute?" I asked as I watched the scenery zoom by from the window of the Escape. I had insisted that Uncle C drive it for the trip today. Nothing slows traffic down like a cop, and I didn't fancy seeing my brother sitting in the back of the cruiser. It painted an ugly picture that could still potentially turn into reality.

"Yeah, Billy's been a good friend of mine my whole life." Charlie stated. "He was actually the one that encouraged me the most to look up your grandfather."

I couldn't help the frown that came up at the mention of my grandfather, Christopher Gilbert.

I loved my grandpa dearly but could never understand the adamant distance he'd maintained with his first-born son. The fact that Uncle Charlie had been born out of wedlock was hardly his fault, and it didn't help matters that John had treated Charlie similarly—not that it was surprising. He was such an ass. At least my dad, Grayson, did his best to keep Uncle Charlie included in their lives—at least as much as he could, given the distance.

Still, I knew that dad loved his older brother. And it was obvious that he and mom clearly trusted him if they'd granted Uncle Charlie custody of us over John or Aunt Jenna despite them being around more and much closer.

"Anyway," Uncle Charlie's voice cut through my thoughts. "Billy's got some kids too. Rachel and Rebecca are a few years older than you—Rachel's going to school in Seattle and Rebecca just got married and moved to Hawaii. He's also got a son, Jacob, that's around Jeremy's age."

He'd tried so hard to casually slide that tidbit into the conversation that I just _knew_ Uncle Charlie was planning something.

"So you're hoping Jacob and Jer will hit it off?" I asked with a smirk, unable to hide my amusement. Uncle Charlie had the decency to look sheepish, which only made my smirk grow into a full-blown smile.

"I think it'll be good for him." He muttered.

Still smiling, I glanced out the side view mirror to see Jeremy, ear buds at full blast and firmly in place as he stared out at the scenery. He frowned when he caught me looking, and rolled his eyes when I stuck my tongue out at him.

 _Brat._ Friends would be just what he needed.

"I think so too, Uncle Charlie."

* * *

It wasn't long before we pulled into the reservation, and soon after arrived at a small house with a rusty red truck sitting in the driveway. As soon as Charlie cut the engine, two figures, who I could only assume to be Billy and his son, Jacob, exited the house to greet us on the front porch.

"Hey Charlie!" exclaimed the boy that looked to be around Jeremy's age, though he seemed a tad younger.

"How's it going, Jacob?" Charlie replied as he led us towards the front of the house, once he was close enough to the porch, he gave Billy a friendly pat on the shoulder before turning to introduce us.

"Hey Billy, I'd like you to meet Elena and Jeremy."

The older man dipped his head in greeting. "Hello Elena, Jeremy; I'm Billy Black. It's nice to finally meet you, though I wish the circumstances were better. I'm sorry to hear about your folks."

There was something in his tone that didn't immediately set my teeth on edge like with everyone else. Billy Black truly meant his words and appeared to be honestly aggrieved for us and the crappy circumstances that landed us here. It was nice, considering how everyone I'd come across laid on the pity, and the ' _you poor thing_ s!', so thickly.

"Thank you, Billy. I appreciate the sentiment. It's nice to meet you too." I smiled sincerely.

At this the young boy walked up to me and Jeremy. "Hey, I'm Jacob."

"Hi," I replied, ignoring my brother as he merely nodded in greeting. "I'm Elena, and this is my brother Jeremy."

There was a lull in conversation then, and I tried to fill it before it became too awkward. "So this is the reservation? It's so beautiful, I bet you guys are always out and about."

Jacob's smile was blinding. "Yeah, the rez is pretty great. We've got the ocean and the woods so there's no shortage for adventure. Do you guys wanna walk down to the beach? The weather's pretty nice today, but the water will be freezing if you're hoping for a swim."

The thought of swimming in _this_ weather made me quickly refuse. As the saying went, you can take the girl out of the South...

I shook my head. "Just a walk's good. We're from Virginia so the weather here's already a bit nippy for our tastes."

"That's cool. What's it like over there?" He grinned as he started towards a well-beaten path. We followed suit.

"Mystic Falls is a lot similar to Forks, though we have a pretty huge historical society. A lot of the families have been there since its founding, and they take a lot of pride in that. It's pretty tight-knit, and there's always way too many community events each year, but it's home, as boring as it can get."

Jacob gave a laugh at that. "Don't I know it. There's nothing much to Forks or the rez either; aside from Quileute traditions, obviously. Though I guess Port Angeles could be considered somewhat touristy. They have more shops and attractions than Forks does. We don't have anything like what you describe back home aside from movie night at the community center that they put on every once in a while. Everyone here for the most part seems to keep to themselves."

I nodded at his description of the town we'd moved to, making sure to keep my footing as the dirt began to give way to sand. His description was pretty spot on. Forks was a far cry from what Mystic Falls was, but I didn't mind the fact. It was nice to be somewhere where the name Gilbert wasn't synonymous with "Founding Family", or "legacy".

In Forks, everyone had their own lives and went about them. Though I'd noted that the gossip mill here was just a teensy bit more prevalent than back home, but that was just small town life for you. Nothing to do meant wagging tongues everywhere.

"So, why did you guys end up moving here?" Jacob inquired after a few moments of amiable silence. Before I could say anything, Jeremy beat me to it.

"Our parents got in a car wreck and Elena was the only one who made it."

I winced at his callous tone and felt even worse when he knocked past Jacob and I to get further down the path.

Jacob took in a sharp breath as he let out a low string of curse words, frowning. "Shit, Elena. I'm really sorry. I had no idea or I'd never have asked."

"It's ok, Jacob. I'm healing and getting on with my life." I tried to reassure him.

The tall boy stopped before me, blocking my path. I looked at him, confused, when he set his hands on my shoulders. The serious look on his face was very different from the carefree smile that he'd donned just two minutes ago. "If you need to talk to anyone, Elena. You or Jeremy, just let me know. I know what it's like to lose a parent, so I think I'd be able to understand."

Touched by his words, all I could do was smile gratefully. "Thanks Jacob."

Wanting to leave behind such a heavy topic, I steered the conversation to the group of locals that were settled around a bonfire just as we arrived at the beach. A few looked over in our direction and greeted Jacob with a few waves.

"C'mon, you can meet a few of the others."

I nodded as he led us towards the group.

As we approached, two boys around Jeremy's age got up from where they were sitting and met us halfway.

"Hey Jake!" They greeted, though both had their eyes riveted on me.

"'Sup, Embry? Quil?" He jerked his head over to me. "This is Elena, she's Charlie's niece. Her and her brother Jeremy just moved here a few weeks back from Virginia."

"Is that the guy that went stomping off towards the tide pools?" The one Jacob called Embry asked.

"Crap," Jacob breathed before turning to me. "I'll go get him Elena. The tide's high today and sometimes it floods the pools."

Before I could get a word out, Jacob was jogging out to an outcrop of rock on the horizon where I could barely make out a solitary figure. He yelled something over his shoulder that I didn't quite catch, but Quil and Embry did. Which was how I found myself being steered over to the rest of the group and making introductions.

I loitered on the outskirts of the group, but met the eye of a gorgeous local who was making her way towards where I stood. Her black hair was pulled back in a low pony and she was quick to give flash me a smile. Her arms were full of food empty food containers.

"Hi, I'm Emily." The pretty girl introduced herself.

"I'm Elena." I greeted. "Do you need any help with that?" I asked, motioning to the Tupperware she tried to keep balanced in her hands. Emily shot me a grateful smile.

"Yes, thank you."

I took on some of Emily's load as she led us back up the path towards Jacob's house. We ultimately passed it and several other houses as we made our way to the small house she'd just moved to with her fiancé. Emily was a sweet girl, so it came to no surprise that conversation came easy.

We talked as we made our way over, with me telling her about the move to Forks and living with Uncle Charlie. Emily didn't know Uncle C personally, but knew that he was good friends with some of the locals. She also expressed her honest condolences when she learned the reason for the move, and just like with Jacob and Billy, her words didn't set me on edge.

Once we reached her house, Emily led the way into a small, but clean kitchen where we deposited the empty containers into the sink.

"Do you want some help with that?" I offered. There were enough empty containers to feed a small army.

Emily waved me off. "Oh, please don't worry about that, I can take care of those in no time at all."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Absolutely!" Emily smiled, and that was that.

We moved to the living room where we continued talking, and it was nearly an hour later when I got a message from Jeremy saying that Uncle Charlie was wondering where I'd gone off to. I texted back a quick reply letting him know that I was at Emily Young's house and would make my way back to Billy's in a few more minutes.

I was just about to tell Emily that I had to get going soon, when the front door opened and a tall Quileute man stepped inside. He froze when he caught sight of us sitting in the living room, and his brows pulled together as a frown immediately tugged at his lips.

Emily, unaware of his disquiet, stood and smiled at who I assumed was her fiancé.

"Elena, this is my fiancé, Sam Uley. Sam, this is Elena. She's Charlie Swan's niece from Virginia. She and her brother just moved to Forks." She explained.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." I greeted as I stood to shake his hand.

Sam continued to stare at me with a stony expression and made no move to return the gesture. If anything, he looked like he was getting quite pissed. The fact that Emily was quickly growing obviously alarmed by his sudden shift in mood was enough to make me withdraw my hand.

"I should get going," I said after a moment of awkward silence. I wasn't the least bit surprised when Emily shot me a tight smile and thanked me for the help. I bid her and Sam goodnight before I quickly made my exit.

I was halfway to the Black household when I figured that I should text Jeremy to let him and Uncle C know that I was heading back. My hand slipped into the back pocket where I normally stashed my phone and found it empty.

Patting my other pockets to make sure they were also empty, I heaved a sigh when I remembered that I'd left my phone on Emily's coffee table. And while I wasn't exactly keen on going back to the place that I'd basically been run out of, I needed my phone and wasn't going to let some guy who'd had a bad day keep me from getting my stuff back.

 _Whatever Sam's problem is, I doubt he'll say anything if I do pop back in._ I assured myself as I made my way back to their house. _Still, it's probably best to keep this visit short and sweet._

It didn't take long for me to get back to their house, and as I got closer I noticed that the front door was left ajar.

 _Way to go, Elena. Can't even close the door all the way in your rush to get out of there, was Sam really so scary?_

I knocked softly on the door frame, but no answer came. I waited a few more seconds before trying again, but this time I caught the sound of voices arguing and winced. Had I caused that fight, or was it because of something else entirely? Deciding I didn't want to stick around too long to find out, I let myself in. I would be in and out before they'd even notice me there.

I spotted my phone on the coffee table where I'd left it and quickly retrieved it. Slipping it into my back pocket, I was just about to turn and leave when the arguing got louder. My eyes flew to the swinging door that separated the living room from the kitchen. Their argument easily discernable through the paper-thin walls.

"—there's nothing off about her, Sam! She just moved into town with her brother."

Guilt flooded me when I realized that I _was_ the reason for their argument. But that feeling was soon coupled with annoyance. Because while I did feel bad for being the reason for their spat, what right did Sam have to judge me? He didn't even know me! And who was he to tell Emily who she could or could not spend her time with? Last I checked, we were in the twenty first century.

"She reeks of them, Emily! She's practically bathed in one of theirs' scent. She may be human, but she's captured their attention. I won't let you associate with someone who—"

Sam cut himself off, leaving the house eerily quiet save for the harrowing breaths someone was taking. For a moment I thought that their fight was over and was ready to leave, when Emily's nervous voice cut through the air. A chill ran down my spine as the hair on my arms stood on end.

"Sam?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"Emily—GO!" Was Sam's reply before a vicious snarl ripped through the air, followed closely by Emily's pained scream. The sound of shattering glass and heavy thuds filled my ears, and without second thought I barreled through the swinging door and into the kitchen.

I fell onto all fours when I caught sight of Emily on the floor. Blood pooled around her, seeping steadily from the deep gashes on her face. Tears pricked my eyes as my breathing grew shallow in my panic. The sliding glass door was shattered, and the screen had been ripped off completely. Sam's clothes were in tatters near the overturned dining table and the linoleum tiles were marred by claw marks that matched the ones on Emily's face…

Somewhere in the darkness of the forest behind their house came a pained howl, causing my blood to freeze.

"Somebody help!" I screamed from the top of my lungs as terror flooded me. My hand clumsily flew to my cellphone in my back pocket, but before I could dial 9-1-1, several people barged into the kitchen, nearly tripping over me in their rush to enter.

The next few minutes passed in a blur. There were people hovering over Emily, while others stepped out back to where the animal had come and gone from. I could vaguely feel someone's hands on my shoulders as they steered me away from the scene and back through to the living room.

I couldn't focus on anything other than Emily's prone form, though something inside me recognized Uncle Charlie as the man who'd pulled me away. I looked up to meet his worried eyes—Gilbert eyes, my dad used to say. The same eyes that he, Uncle John, and Uncle Charlie all shared.

Uncle Charlie looked so much like my father it was scary… looked more like his brother than Uncle John ever did…

 _Except for the mustache._ I thought distantly. _Dad could never quite pull it off and always ended up shaving. And it never quite bristled like that either._

It took me a moment to realize that he was talking to me.

"Elena, listen to me! You need to calm down and tell me what happened." Uncle Charlie demanded as he led me out of Emily's house. After a few minutes, the fog began to lift as the shock began to wear off.

"I—" was all I could get out before my voice died in my throat. Taking a deep breath at my uncle's request, I gathered my wits enough to try and relay what had happened.

"I forgot my phone, so I came back to get it when I heard Sam and Emily talking in the kitchen. Everything was fine until Sam told her to go. After that, I heard glass break and Emily scream so I barged in and found her hurt on the floor. Sam wasn't anywhere to be found—just his shredded clothes."

Horror washed over me at what the state of his clothes possibly meant. "What if the animal dragged him into the woods? I didn't hear him say anything else after he tried to warn Emily. What if he's out there?!"

My renewed state of distress forced Uncle Charlie to cease his questioning. Instead he did his best to bring me down once again as he steered me toward Billy's. I was ordered to stay inside with Jeremy and Jacob, and told that they'd come for us once they completed a sweep of the reservation. We weren't allowed to leave the house and told to stay away from all windows and entrances. It was during this time that I felt myself go into autopilot, only vaguely recalling when Jacob showed me to the bathroom so I could get cleaned up.

I stared at my reflection then.

I looked like I'd stepped straight out of a slasher film. My pant legs were soaked in blood, becoming stiff as the bright crimson dried to a dull brown color. My hands were also covered in dried blood that began to crust and flake away from where I'd fallen near Emily on all fours. I hadn't even noticed until now. Tears pricked at my eyes as I turned on the hot water faucet and started scrubbing away furiously.

I kept scrubbing long after the water ran clear again.

Hours later, I swore my skin still reeked of blood.


End file.
